Mayor Phil Goff, who was elected earlier this month, announced the appointment today.

Mr Cashmore represents the southern rural Franklin ward.

Mr Goff and Mr Cashmore both live in the rural Clevedon area.

The appointment pairs the mayor - a former Labour Party leader - with a paid-up member of the National Party.

Mr Goff said there was no deliberate move to present a different political face to the previous Council.

"The decision I made in terms of the deputy mayor, was made first and foremost on merit, and that has always been the most important criteria in my view, in making appointments to any position in any body."

The mayor has also appointed three councillors to senior roles chairing major committees in a streamlined structure aimed at saving money and time.

Bill Cashmore Photo: Supplied

Former deputy Penny Hulse and Manukau councillor Alf Filipaiina - both closely linked to the former mayor Len Brown - will head the environment and community committee.

Councillors Chris Darby will head the planning committee and Ross Clow will be responsible for the finance and performance committee. The one-term councillors will be backed up by right-wingers Desley Simpson and Denise Lee who will serve as the new deputies.

Mr Goff said he had chosen purely on merit, and cut the number of committees from 19 to nine.

He estimated there would be five fewer meetings a month, cutting the time tying up staff and councillors by 25 percent.

"The new structure will result in five less formal meetings a month, up to 15 fewer reports needing to be prepared and a saving of 25 percent in staff and councillors' time. This is in line with my commitment to ratepayers that, as a Council, we will do more with less," he said.

Mr Goff admitted the Council did not reflect the multi-cultural city, but noted committees did have a balance of gender.

"I will be looking again with my colleagues at ways in which we can get a more diverse council in future years. In the meantime, I will be using very mechanism that is available to me to make sure all of our communities feel that they have a say and can participate in what council is doing."

Christchurch deputy named

Further south, Councillor Andrew Turner has been named as the new deputy mayor of Christchurch City Council.

In a swearing-in ceremony for the new council, returning mayor Lianne Dalziel announced that Mr Turner would replace Vicki Buck, who has served in the role for the past three years.

In a Facebook post this afternoon Ms Buck said it was never a job she sought or desired.

Ms Dalziel praised Ms Buck for her work and support in the role over the past three years.